Are you compelled to become more knowledgeable about serial killers and unsolved mysteries? Whether you are or not, audiences around the world have found their thirst for real-life thriller entertainment through true crime shows. 

The people who don’t have any interest in true-crime stories may or may not think you are a creep for enjoying them. However, one can rest assured that your love of the macabre will not show that you have a tendency towards criminal activity. When you are watching or listening to a true crime show, it does not make you strange or weird. Our human nature may be a cause of what makes us so inquisitive. The reason that true crime is appealing to people is because they are getting a glimpse at the mind of a real person who has committed a crime.

A majority of true crime fans are women. True crime stories disproportionately appeal to women compared to men by 73%. There is one particular study, led by Amanda Vicary, associate psychology professor at Illinois Wesleyan University

“The number of women interested in the genre of true crime increased by 16% in 2019,” said Vicary.

However, Vicary suggests while consuming crime content, women should subconsciously absorb the information and try to recognize tell-tale signs that can lead to violence.

Rhea Ghandi, on the other hand, focuses on the how crime can give women a particular feeling of justice. Ghandi is a Mumbai-based psychotherapist and counselor. Vicary wanted dig deeper on the topic of how crime effects women before speaking to her. 

“In reality, women are often the victims or survivors of crime, rather than perpetrators. Perhaps we are drawn to this genre in search of a sense of justice,” Ghandi said. 

Even though true crime can help women become more diligent and aware or to feel a sense of justice, one does not want to become fearful to the point where not leaving the house, not socializing, and not functioning becomes an issue. 

Furthermore, due to its dark subject matter, true crime can be difficult for some people to process. Psychologist Chivonna Childs, PhD, has researched the obsession over true crime. They are interested in this genre because it helps them to understand how crimes are perpetrated. “Focus on murder and rape can take you to a really bad place,” Dr. Childs said.

Fictional crime stories also have an impact on the psyche just as much as the nonfiction ones. This does not mean to stop watching shoes like “Law and Order: SVU” or listening to podcasts like “My Favorite Murder” if there is a love for them. This means, remaining vigilant about how they affect you, and paying attention to negative reactions.

When noticing a negative reaction to true crime stories, it’s helpful to stop watching or listening for a moment. After not noticing any more negative reactions, resume watching or listening to your favorite true crime shows. 

In conclusion, the mystery of, why are people so obsessed with true crime? ,comes to a close. Whether women are learning how to protect themselves from the crimes of serial killers or just enjoy listening out of their own entertainment, the world can predict that true crime will be an obsession that people have in the future because of a thirst for real-life thriller entertainment.